8-Bit Software Online Conversion

                First of all, a quick note about the Acorn User Show. The show is to be held in The Harrogate International Centre on the 22nd 23rd and 24th of April. The doors will be open from 10am to 5pm each day. 8-Bit Software will be there in "Club Corner". A number of 8BS members have volunteered to help out on the stand. If you are one of these members and you have not received a show pass with this issue, give me a ring NOW! See you all there.       BBC PD will be closing down in a few days time. Fear not, 8BS has sent an order in to Alan Blundell for everything that is not already in the 8BS library. I intend to re-organise the BBC section of the 8BS pool so that the discs have the same numbers that Alan gave them.       OK So what has been happening at 8BS then? One member kindly offered to copy in text from Beebug magazines. This is something that I had been considering doing myself as there are some very useful items. However, aware that copyright may be a problem and also wondering if the text was on disc anywhere I decided to contact Mike Williams. Mike was very helpful and has said that text from the Beebug magazine should be on disc somewhere and 8BS will be allowed to have any text from the PD Beebug issues. This is all providing that 8BS does not retain the sole rights to the text and circulates it freely to any one that wants it (perfect!) and that the board of directors of Beebug agree. Eventually, I aim to have alongside each of the Beebug discs in the library, a disc containing the text that was in the original magazine. Watch this space.       K2O Stephan Richardson has been working hard for 8BS. There is a brilliant collection of software from Data Design "Designer". This ROM and disc based software allows you use the WIMPS based planning system to plan various items such as castles, medieval villages and modern towns from a large selection of icons and then print them out. Not just print out the plan of your layout but print out the models themselves in kit form! In three different sizes. Stephan has contacted Data Design in an attempt to get 8BS and Solinet members a deal on the software. Details of the deal for 8BS members to follow.......       K2O Stephan Richardson has also suggested contacting the owners of the copyright on CEEFAX items to try and get permission to use the OSBITS course texts and software examples. The OSBITS course was a series of programs broadcast when CEEFAX ran a Telesoftware service. The texts from this were very useful. 8BS would benefit greatly from this text being in the library. Watch this space...... Thanks again to K2O Stephan Richardson for suggesting contacting numerous other owners of copyright of decent bits of software. Various leads being followed up at present. If you have any non PD software that you think is wonderful. Why not let 8BS know about it and we can see about the rest of the 8BS members getting a good deal on it?       Thanks to Mick Needham for the loan of his video digitiser and my dad for the loan of his video camera and tripod. These will be put to use at the show digitising people onto copies of TBI-00 to raise a little extra cash for the funds.       Acorn User Show Bring and Buy. Speaking of raising funds, I shall be taking a box of acquired useful bits of software, books and hardware to the show for people to rummage through. If (or should I say when) you visit the show, try to bring along some of your surplus gear to put into the "Bring and Buy" box (buns, pies, biscuits and pots of jam will probably be eaten on the spot by myself).       Are there any members of 8BS that have not yet written to: Paul Harvey ByteBack 33 King Henry's Mews Enfield Lock Middlesex E93 6JS Paul's magazine is dedicated to the BBC and is full of articles, letters, hints and tips. I can highly recommend it. At only one pound per issue (about one a month) it has to be worth it. ByteBack has reached issue 6 now and has covered subjects such as Interbase, using printers with the Beeb, hints and tips, the BBC in education, PD and shareware, puzzles, reviews and ads. Paul Harvey is an 8BS member (K1Y). He has been VERY generous with his time and skills. The stickers that I am at present sending out and the poster for the Acorn User Show were all designed and printed by Paul.       K2B Colin Culpitt-Smith pointed out to me that my "Tell The Time" program on issue 27 would not work with SPEECH on the BBC. This was due to memory limitations. With a wave of the 8BS magic wand and a bit of jiggery pokery the problem has been resolved. The new version will only work with a relocated SPEECH program (made using RELOCAT) on the BBC. If anyone wants this version, please send the usual formatted disc and return postage, I will do the right thing by you. Thanks for letting me know Colin. If there is enough interest shown (or a bit of space) I shall include the new version in a future 8BS issue.       Still on the subject of incompatibility, K4T who uses a Master Compact discovered that Masterdisc would not run on his machine. The only reason for this was the use of INKEY(-256) in the !BOOT file. Typing PRINT INKEY(-265) will print a number representing your operating system: RESULT MOS -1 BBC MOS 1.00 1.20 0 BBC MOS 0.10 1 Electron MOS 1.00 245 Master Compact MOS 5.1 250 ABC MOS 251 BBC MOS 2.00 252 German BBC 253 Master MOS 3.20 254 US BBS MOS 1.00 1.1 Can anyone add to this? I have taken the liberty of changing the !BOOT file on the 8BS Masterdisc collection. I always use the following method for finding out what machine is in use: A%=0:X%=&FF:F%=USR&FFF4 DIV &100 AND 7 The resulting value of F% indicates which machine is in use: 1=BBC 3=Master 5=Master Compact       I would like to thank K2O Stephan Richardson for his invaluable assistance. Stephan has been most generous not only with his time and expertise but also with donations to the group. In my opinion, he knows the answer to EVERYTHING. (42?) K2O has donated an item worth £100. The Silicon Vision Real Time Graphics Language Solids Modeller Package. A superb 3D graphics pack comprising a ROM, manual and 6 discs of software containing utilities and examples. I had considered offering this package as a prize for a competition. However, after due consideration I think that this could be a fine opportunity to boost the 8BS funds a little. So an auction is to be held! Make 8BS an offer for this amazing package that will allow you to easily produce moving 3D graphics. The package will go to the highest (reasonable) bid. Bids will be accepted up to May the 19th by phone or mail. The winner will be notified immediately by mail.       Thank you K4J Chris Dronfield for the donation of software, hardware and books to the group. These items have been placed in the advertisement message section. Money received from sales will go straight into the 8BS funds.       Just a note about the title screen on this issue. This will only be loaded if the variable TIME is low. This is an attempt to avoid the title screen loading every time you load the menu. To load the title screen use CTRL+BREAK before SHIFT+BREAK.       As promised, the messages section is split up into more manageable bits. I hope this suits you all, let's have your comments.       Thank you all for the excellent response to the new questionnaire. We now have quite a large proportion of the members transferred over to the new system. The whole thing has gone much more smoothly than I could have hoped for. Just one point to mention. You CAN enter your interests into the questionnaire. Please check by pressing f0 for help.       K2B asked how he could print out a copy of the messages that he sends using the messaging system before they are processed by me. OK it's dead easy. Do this: LOAD"7to3" From any 8BS issue. Insert the disc with your newly written messages. Type: $&A00="!Mesg" If you want a printout type: Z%=1 Type: RUN Reply to MARKED PRINTOUT? With Y Then enter your ID BACKWARDS! This is because your ID is stored in reverse at the start of the message file. The program "7TO3" normally jumps a big bit at the start to allow for the machine code header, this header will not be there in your new message and the Marked Printout option bypasses the jump.       Who reads the Micro Mart? There was an article in the 31st March issue about support for the BBC. 8BS had an all too brief mention. It would seem that we have shipped over to West Yorkshire according to the address published. Well I know my roots are there (Barnsley), but I am quite happy in East Yorkshire to be honest.         If you have not got a recent copy of TBI-00 (version 23 now out), please send a formatted disc and return p+p for your copy. There is now an ADFS version of TBI-00 so you may send for your preferred format ADFS or DFS.           New additions since the last issue are: TBI-52 Amusing text files including Star Trek spoofs. TBI-46-5 Has Peter Davy disc 36 added to it. A drawing program. CJR-03 STD code database is now available in ADFS. FAC-01-01 to 06 Fast Access Volume 1, issues 1 to 6 on 6 DFS discs. FAC-02-01 to FAC-02-06 Fast Access Volume 2, issues 1 to 6 on 18 DFS sides (3 sides per volume). FAC-01-07 Fast Access Volume 1, issues 1 2 and 3 on 1 ADFS disc. FAC-01-08 Fast Access Volume 1, issues 4 5 and 5 on 1 ADFS disc. FAC-02-07 to FAC-02-12 Fast Access Volume 2, issues 1 to 6 on 6 ADFS discs. TBI-53 Beebnet Volume 1. A disc of games and utilities from Australia submitted by L1L.      